Edge Environment and KFC Australia are collaborating to establish an industrial ecology network for the recovery of resources in the food supply chain.
The food supply chain has a wide range of material inputs and outputs to process, transport and distribute food to the population. The global population is expected to grow to 9 billion and demand for food by 77% by 2050. Over the same period food production will be under threat from climate change, competing land uses, erosion and diminishing supplies of clean water. One of the solutions to this dilemma is increased efficiency and waste reduction in the food supply chain (RMIT, 2013).
Using case studies to showcase successful resource recovery projects and connecting suppliers and receivers of waste, we will facilitate sustainable and commercially viable relationships between businesses.
Australia’s food supply chain generates waste predominantly through the food service sector (661,000 tonnes), followed by food manufacturing (312,000 tonnes), retailing (179,000 tonnes) and then through wholesale distribution (83,000 tonnes) (RMIT, 2013).
Edge Environment has been awarded a grant from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to establish and run a Sydney Industrial Ecology Network. This program is part of the Waste Less, Recycle More initiative to fund the transformation of waste and recycling in NSW. The Sydney Industrial Ecology Network will bring businesses together across NSW to foster reuse of commercial and industrial waste. Industrial Ecology is the concept of one industry’s wastes or by-products becoming another industry’s feedstock or resource. It is closing the material loop of industrial systems and optimizing material and energy flows.
Through working with KFC Australia and its supply chain, Edge Environment will identify and facilitate exchanges of resources by connecting people, developing business cases and assisting with regulatory requirements.
The scope of industrial ecology in the food supply chain is to recover waste created either through reuse, reprocessing or recycling.
Types of waste to be considered:
• Fit-out churn waste in stores and factories
• Organic waste from stores and factories
• Cardboard and paper packaging waste from stores and processing
• Plastic waste from processing
• Plastic bins and bottles
• Timber packaging (pallets)
Contact Sarah Bray at [email protected] to register and find out more information.